S. Korea, US see 'meaningful progress' on conditions for wartime command transfer from Washington

Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Gen. Jin Yong-sung, left, and his U.S. counterpart, Gen. Dan Caine, pose for a photo during the 50th Military Committee Meeting held in Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of the JCS

The top military officers of South Korea and the United States on Monday assessed that "meaningful progress" has been made to meet the conditions for Seoul to retake wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington, the South's military said.

Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Gen. Jin Yong-sung and his U.S. counterpart, Gen. Dan Caine, discussed such details during the 50th Military Committee Meeting held in Seoul, according to the South's JCS. It marked their first in-person talks in three months.

"They agreed to continue efforts to meet the conditions required for achieving OPCON transition and strengthen the alliance's combined defense posture," the military said in an English-language release.

"Gen. Jin and Gen. Caine have the same understanding of the meaningful progress made across various fields, as confirmed through the annual evaluation conducted in accordance with the bilaterally agreed-upon standards of conditions-based operational control transition plan," it said.

The talks came as South Korea has vowed to regain OPCON from Washington within President Lee Jae Myung's five-year term that ends in 2030.

In a separate release issued by the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Caine and Jin reaffirmed their commitment to the conditions-based transition plan.

"Gen. Caine and Gen. Jin ... agreed to continue close coordination to ensure a stable, conditions-based transition of wartime operational control, while maintaining a strong and steadfast alliance," it said.

In the meeting, Jin and Caine also held discussions on alliance modernization and agreed to enhance the alliance's capabilities, interoperability and combined readiness posture to better respond to the changing security environment and "emerging" threats, the South's JCS said.

They noted that the security environment in the Indo-Pacific has become "increasingly complex" due to North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile threats, as well as an intensifying global arms race.

Still, the top military officers said the North's military buildup attempt, backed by technological support from Russia, is effectively being managed under the allies' strong combined defense posture.

Going forward, Jin and Caine concurred on the importance of developing an "ever-stronger" combined defense posture under the allies' mutual defense treaty and pledged utmost efforts to ensure peace and stability not only on the Korean Peninsula but in the region.

"The leaders also noted the alliance's combined deterrence posture contributes to regional stability and a free and open Indo-Pacific, in support of peace, security, and prosperity," the U.S. side said.

Monday's talks, attended by senior officials from both sides, including Adm. Samuel Paparo, chief of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, and Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of the U.S. Forces Korea, came a day ahead of annual security talks between their defense chiefs.

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are set to co-chair the 57th Security Consultative Meeting on Tuesday, which is widely expected to include discussions on Seoul's push for OPCON transition and the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines.